Title

Author

Publication Date

8-2009

Type of Culminating Activity

Thesis

Degree Title

Master of Science in Computer Engineering

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Major Advisor

Sin Ming Loo

Abstract

In the search for more effective instruments to collect data for the identification of threats to security, health, and safety, new tools must be designed to meet the challenges of a diverse set of possible applications. The extensive range of potential applications raises the need for a general purpose system capable of addressing a wide variety of deployment environments. This thesis focuses on a wireless sensor network framework for collecting environmental data in an effort to develop a sensing solution that fits within many design spaces. The framework includes reconfigurable wireless sensor node hardware, firmware, and software for interfacing sensor networks for upstream data aggregation and sensor data fusion. The wireless sensor modules utilize mesh network architecture to allow low power radios to be effective even with low sensor module dispersion density, or in environments that have obstructions which prevent line-of-sight communications. In the current implementation, the software is designed to allow a computer to be used to monitor all sensor module activities as data is collected, request information as needed, and forward collected data to a database system for further analysis. It also supports software modules to allow different sensor data fusion and analysis algorithms to be applied to the collected data in real-time.